Wisconsin Badgers

Jeff Potrykus chat transcript Monday

UW football

Q:
gene ,
chicago
- thanks for taking my question. Penn St and especially Ohio St have done really well after being sanctioned. Does this mean that the sanctions were inadequate, or did Meyer and O'brien do superlative jobs to overcome the sanctions, or are other coaches /programs going to get the message that cheating pays even if you are caught?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Evening all. For those who didn't know, Barry Alvarez just announced that he has fired B.......Just havingfun with the torch-bearing villagers. The Big Ten announced its all-league team tonight. I've got to write that story for the paper first and that is going to take a bit. When I finish I'll come back and answer some questions. Gene: The sanctions vs. Penn State will hurt in the future (recruiting, postseason ban). The OSU issue is for one year -- this year. OSU had lots of talent. O'Brien did a great job. Should be coach of the year.

Q:
Corey,
Madison,WI
- Hey Jeff, another tough OT loss. We can all look back over the season and wring hands over "what could've been." However, as Ethan Armstrong noted tonight, this season has essentially been reset-win against Nebraska and UW has a 3rd consecutive Big Ten championship/Rose Bowl. My question is this-does UW have enough talent (currently, i.e. non-injured) to accomplish this? From my perspective, I see the inability of the offense to sustain their momentum as having a deleterious effect on the defense over the course of a game. Simply, can this trend be reversed in this season? Frankly, defensive staffs seem willing to (at this point) play essentially a 46 defense and take their chances against UW's passing game. It's a disturbing trend. Thanks again for the chats this season

A: Jeff Potrykus
- OK, back for a few minutes. They should have Borland + Abbrederis back. They also didn't have Kelly, Muldoon and Shelton Johnson in the first meeting. Yes, I can see UW winning. I have said all along UW will win. NU is a bit banged up on both lines. Tough to throw against the Huskers but I think UW will be able to run the ball well enough to win.

Q:
Fred,
Chicago
- Clearly the coaching staff has no faith in it's FG kickers, any on the recruiting horizen?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Not for next season.

Q:
H Lee
-
Will you be giving Bielema a grade following the season? You know, like an A for recruiting, D for game management - that sort of thing?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- We do not do season-ending grades. Just game by game.

Q:
richalb,
elkhorn WI
- O.K. Jeff, let's cut to the quick....Shouldn't Jim Delany have seen this coming back in August? Two ineligible teams plus three awful teams in the same division. A gift wrap for the Badgers...Surely he could have improvised the title game for this one year so that Neb would be playing Mich 6-2 for the title instead of UW 4-4.
It's just scary that a mediocre third place team has a chance to get pummeled in the Rose Bowl by a far superior Pac 12 team..Plus to join Mich as the only Big Ten team to ever lose 3 straight Rose Bowls. I just don't see how any reasonable Badger fan can get excited about this coming "title" game....

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Pat Fitzgerald suggested during the league meetings that the Legends winner play a wildcard team selected by the ADs, with Delany holding tie-breaker. Stupid idea then, stupid idea now. Why should any team from the Leaders be penalized for the actions of OSU and PSU?

Q:
sout' side bob,
the basement of Schusters on Mitchell Street, by the Carmel Corn...
- The Goal for Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama, and Notre' Dame at the beginning of EACH YEAR is to win the National Championship.. Explain to us, all how this coach will bring a National Championship to Wisconsin.. realistic chances.. ever..

A: Jeff Potrykus
- By finishing in in the top two of the BCS next season or finishing in the top four in years after that.

Q:
Ben S.,
Las Vegas, Nev.
- Hey Jeff,
It seems like BB had about the same situation at the end of regulation at PSU as he did at same juncture vs. OSU. That is, a chance to win the game with a 2 pt conversion or attempt to go to OT w/a kick. Both times he chose to kick and both times they lost in OT. I haven't seen any charts on this situation, but it stands to reason the team's win probability is higher at the point it has just a few yards to go for the winning score with no chance for the opponent to respond than it is from 25 yards out in a multiple possession situation. Given the likelihood of success (not certain but pretty good) and fact outcome wouldn't have any bearing on going to conference title game anyway, what thoughts do credible analysts like yourself have about why BB didn't take a shot at winning when it was right in front of him?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Thoughts: Your logic is flawed for one. They had just used their best two-point play (of three) for the game to score the TD. They didn't like their odds with the second or third choices because of the way Penn State was defending certain plays. So they chose overtime, where you have multiple chances. But I'm sure if Bielema had gone for two and failed no UW fan would have criticized his decision-making ability.

Q:
Steve
- Hi Jeff - Let's say that Wisconsin beats Nebraska. Is the Rose Bowl obligated to take Bucky or is there an out whereby they could take another team from a different conference with a higher BCS ranking? Thanks

A: Jeff Potrykus
- The Big Ten champion goes to the Rose Bowl unless it is in BCS title game.

Q:
LA Dan,
LA
- Jeff, please comment on how the staff handled the QB situation this year. O'Brien had 6 quarters with #4, our only WR, and terrible OL play before being replaced. Stave's first start was AT Nebraska; then benched for the 2 min drill. More juggling thereafter, with O'brien vs. MSU, and then to Philips who throws only 7 passes before starting at OSU. Looking back on this, I see a lot of knee jerk decisions (to me) that didn't pan out. Anything you would have done differently?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- O'Brien lost the starting gig because he didn't take care of the football. Did he have a solid line in front of him? No. But the pick at Oregon State was a bad decision. The fumble vs. Utah State was avoidable. The pick vs. Utah State (wiped out by penalty) never should have happened. Stave did NOT make his first start at Nebraska. That was his second start. Phillips could have thrown 40 passes vs. IU and it wouldn't have made a difference vs. OSU. Different athletes, different schemes. Based on what I saw in camp, OB deserved to start. Based on what I saw of OB early, the move to Stave made sense. Now that I've seen Curt, I still think he gives Stave a hell of a run for the No. 1 job next summer.

Q:
LA Dan,
LA
- Jeffrey, thanks for the coverage this year. I don't think it's accurate to characterize fans as "reactionary" only because the track record covers 7 years. No one would be up in arms if we won one of the Rose Bowls or didn't give up two hail marys last year. However, the bigger issue is UW doesn't have the talent base of elite programs and is not a school can reload - we have to rebuild. While I think BB has failed to improve as a coach - my biggest complaint - we will never recruit well enough to replace the amount of talent we lost last year (was the same for Alvarez). Frankly, I think everyone overlooked this reality in August: this is a shortage of talent on this 2012 team.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Yes, he is 0-2 in Rose Bowls. And the three teams Barry beat in Pasadena could pool their talents and still not beat either TCU or Oregon. Fans react without thinking. They're spewing the same garbage now they did in 2008. When I suggested patience and predicted the tide would turn I was labeled a homer and accused of being afraid to ask tough questions for fear of losing access. Well, they won two Big Ten titles in three seasons. They have talent on the team but they are lacking experienced talent at QB and WR. Fans continue to underestimate how badly the OL was messed up and how that affected everything.

Q:
Tony Dombrow,
Lake Forest, IL
- Jeff: I am an avid reader of your articles, but this is the first time I have submitted questions. To me, Matt Canada has proven over the course of the season that he is the weak link on the coaching staff. Obviously, he is no Paul Chryst. He does deserve credit for creativity for using a second back in motion but, despite its success, he inexplicably goes away from it for long stretches of the game. If you tracked the productivity of our offense per play with a second back in motion as compared to when there is no back in motion, I'll bet the yards per play is much greater with the back in motion. Second, though Melvin Gordon is likely a stud, he rarely gets the ball to him. Third, his third down efficiency is horrible. What is your CANDID assessment of Canaada and do you think he should be retained? On another point, because we have in part lost three or four games this year due to the kicking game, isn't it about time that we hire an excellent, full-time special teams coach? Thanks for your thoughts.

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Tony, I've compared this season for Canada to 2008 for Chryst for many reasons, largely the instability at QB. (PC had a much more stable OL that season, however). Here are some key numbers: In 2008, UW averaged 27.5 ppg and converted 38.2% on third downs. This season? They are at 27.5ppg and 34% on third downs. Somewhere I hear Rod Serling's voice. Yes, I think Matt should be retained. He is on his third QB, his second OL coach and the OL has had guys shifting all over the place. Why fans can't see that or refuse to factor it in amazes me. Though it doesn't surprise me.

Q:
Jeff,
Chattanooga, TN
- Jeff, I did a bit of research. When competing against B1G teams that finish with a better than 0.500 record in conference play, BB is 6-16. Yes, that = 27%. BB will win 1 out of every 4 against quality opponents. Schedule a bunch of non-conference cream-puffs and mop up against inferior B1G opponents and you can convince the average fan that you're the coach that can take the program to the next level. If the schedule gods help out, you can occasionally make the Rose Bowl. I'm not interested in what the average fan feels. What is your sense of what Barry Alvarez feels about this performance? Is it good enough?

A: Jeff Potrykus
- Last one cuz I have to write...If you're going to do some research may I suggest you finish the project? I suggest you do the same research for Alvarez. I'll bet you'll find BA and BB similar in all areas save two: BA has the better bowl record and BB has avoided the sub.-500 seasons that BA endured in 1995 and 2001. As for what BA feels, trust me when I say you wouldn't like it. He would look at the big picture, understand the factors at work this season, acknowledge he wants to see his football program have a better record (as have the HC and players) but he'd also point out that sometimes you have seasons like this.